Elari 'NanoPhone C': 'Digital detox' of no practical significance

At a time when feature phones with better specifications are becoming a rage (you can't miss the upcoming 'intelligent' JioPhone and the quintessential Nokia 3310), Russian company Elari has launched NanoPhone C which, it claims, is the world's smallest GSM phone.

Weighing only 30 grams, NanoPhone C in rose gold, black anthracite and platinum silver colour variants can be purchased from e-commerce site yerha.com at Rs 3,999.

The phone was, however, launched for Rs 3,940 in July in India.

In terms of specifications, it has a microSIM card slot, a microSD card slot, built-in FM radio and an MP3 player as well.

Elari NanoPhone C also has basic features such as a 3.5-mm standard headphone jack and a microUSB port for charging the phone and syncing data. It measures 94.4mm x 35.85mm x 7.6mm and features a tiny, 1-inch TFT display.

The NanoPhone C directly competes with the likes of Nokia 3310 (2017 version) and aims to give users a shot of "digital detox", but does it live up to the hype? Let's find out.

Here is what works for the device.

The fact that it smoothly synchronises with Android devices (we paired it with an Android smartphone) via Bluetooth is commendable.

The sleek body and rounded buttons, at first glance, gives the impression of a small TV or audio remote which itself is quite intriguing.

Audio call quality while making and receiving calls (after pairing it with our primary Android phone) was good.

The option to copy up to 1,000 contacts to the phonebook and use it as a stand-alone device also gets a thumbs-up from our side.

What does not work:

NanoPhone C's "Magic Voice" function lets the user make calls with a "fake voice", but is not of much use in day-to-day life. In fact, it is no value addition to a feature phone in the sub-4K segment at all.

The 280mAh battery is not sufficient at all when compared to another feature phone in the same price segment. Nokia 3310 (2017 edition) features a bigger 1200mAh battery.

The company claims the battery will provide up to four days of standby time on a single charge but it did not last that long during the review.

Conclusion: Elari NanoPhone C might wish to offer an "antidote" to smartphone addiction, but the concept is not ground-breaking. Given the price, users looking for a feature phone would want better features and battery back-up which Nokia 3310 provides.